I hope this may be helpful info for someone.
My front right jack only went up about 3" when released, we could put a thick rake handle under it and pry it up. HWH told me to remove the fitting from the top of the jack and if it still did not go up then the jack had to be replaced. So off to the repair shop and they did the test, to no avail. They gave me a price for a new jack $358.00. I called around to get a couple of other prices. The last call was to Stwart HWH master service, he told me to spray the bottom of the shaft seal and the shaft with silacone spray (not wd40) and then release it. It worked the first time and every time after. So I spray them all now. Hope this might help someone.
Thank you,
Al Edwards:

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HWH also offers reman jacks for $100 or so less. They come with the new stronger springs and a 1yr warranty. We went this route while there in May.

I know everyone else says to use silicone spray and not WD40, but they told me the opposite while there. I had mentioned using silicone spray and was told not to since it leaves a deposit over time that messes with the seals. Maybe I should call and ask again in case they miss-spoke.

I know everyone else says to use silicone spray and not WD40, but they told me the opposite while there. I had mentioned using silicone spray and was told not to since it leaves a deposit over time that messes with the seals. Maybe I should call and ask again in case they miss-spoke.

If you do that, Bill, please report back because that's contrary to most reports. It's been my understanding that the tendency for WD40 to attract dust and dirt has been the reason they didn't want it on the rams.

I do recall WD40 being unadvisable for use on bike chains due to, I believe, paraffin build up which captures grit and increases wear.

.

Funny but there's a lot of home concoctions used on chains over the years. Back in the day we'd boil the chains of our dirt bikes in paraffin wax before a race we knew would be wet and muddy to keep the mud from intruding in to the rollers.

A while back (I can't find the post), someone posted an email from HWH that said to use WD-40 on the jacks, NOT silicone. Silicone leaves too much residue. The solvents in some silicones may also deteriorate the seals.

WD-40 is not used to lubricate the jacks, but to clean them to keep gunk from building up on the seals. The instructions said to wipe the WD-40 off thoroughly.

We had new HWH jacks installed at their factory the day after Memorial Day and they said WD-40, not silicone. I you go to their website and read all their manuals there, they too say WD-40.
On my last two coaches, I had HWH and always used silicone, and it seemed to work fine. Now on their say so, I have switched to WD-40.
Of course, they are brand new.

If jacks are down for extended periods, it is recommended to spray
exposed leveling jack rods with a silicone lubricant every seven days for
protection. If your coach is located in a salty environment, it is
recommended to spray the rods every 2 to 3 days.

There are different silicone sprays - petroleum based and non-petroleum based. The non-petroleum is supposed to be better in that it does not eat the seals. Harder to find, but it is working for me on my jacks. New springs are next, the 10-year old springs are nasty and scrawny looking.